Boroughmuir High school could be moved to a brand new building on the site of the old Fountainbridge brewery, if a council bid for the land is successful.

The site was once earmarked for a Bank of Scotland office complex but the plans were shelved when the bank was taken over by Lloyds banking group.

The new owners, in a bid to raise cash, gained planning permission for a more mixed use development incorporating residential, retail and commercial uses and then put the site up for sale. Now, it would seem the Fountainbridge brewery site could take on a civic use, if the council bid is successful.

City Education Leader Cllr Marilyne MacLaren said: "We think this new option at Fountainbridge offers real potential, particularly given that new-build sites are extremely hard to come by.”

The Labour group leader, Councillor Andrew Burns also backed the idea: “I think the council is absolutely right to look into the option of potentially buying the whole of that site.

“What the Boroughmuir School community think is going to be crucial though. I would very much welcome the school being relocated and it’s an opportunity for the council not just to develop the school on that site but to take ownership of the whole site and possibly develop it in future for community use.”

Parents at the school have already been informed of the bid. Despite this, locals question whether the council can really afford the cost of new build school in the current economic climate.

Paul Beswick, Chair of Tollcross Community Council said: “We would be supportive of a new Boroughmuir School. However, my opinion is that, despite this announcement, the economics will dictate that the council goes for a refurbishment rather than a new build.

“The council has experience of decants for schools, whether for new builds or refurbishments or somewhere between, like James Gillespies. I would be interested to know how much the developer wanted for the site and what a new school would cost. I think we can just watch this space.”

The current Boroughmuir High School building is one of the oldest in the city and in need of refurbishment. However, council officers are said to have struggled to identify suitable temporary accommodation in the local area that would allow renovation work to go ahead.

The deadline for bids for the Fountainbridge site was Wednesday the 13th of October. It is not known when the council will find out whether their bid has been successful or if there are other bidders.

Image Credit: Kim Traynor